I'm trying to burn some videos to a DVD, and just finished converting them to DVD format from AVI. But as soon as the converter finished, my computer shut itself off and won't turn back on.
I press the ON button and it starts up for like 5 seconds and then turns itself off
Cleaning the dust out of your computer semi-regularly is pretty normal computer maintenance advice, especially for heat problems.
A can of compressed air is helpful, but not necessary.
First time I did it there was a terrifying amount of dust. Like a frigging small mound. If you have allergies, you might want to get one of those masks.
Raneadospolice apologistyou shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered Userregular
edited January 2007
If I could, I'd like to resurrect this thread. Because it seems to be happening again
I came back to my dorm after the weekend at home, and turned on my computer, I decided to play EVE, as I still needed to get through the tutorial. It was running a little choppy so I switched it to Windowed mode. And started playing, but about 10 seconds after I had switched it, my computer turned itself off. I pressed the power button to turn it back on but it turned itself off after a few seconds. After a few more tries experimenting with different times between turn-on attempts, it seems to fare better after a while sitting there, but not always. I tried 2 system restores but the computer always turns itself off like 1/3 of the way through, so I can't get it all the way there. I tried starting it up on one occasion and going straight to normal (nonsafe mode0. It didn't cut out, so I started adavare, sybot, and Norton virus checker. However, the computer turned off while these were running.
I haven't used the thing in a few days and it's been running fine beforehand (except for the similar occurence like 2 weeks ago in the OP)
Specs if I can remember them
RAM: 512
Space remaining: about 15 Gigs
Pentium 4 Processor
Radeon 9600Pro video card.
Computer is about 3 years old
Is this a power supply or heat problem? if so: how can I help it? Preferrebly with least amount of money spent, each dollar I'm going to spend is less money for groceries. My Budget is tight as hell right now.
Any help would be awesome, as this issue only just reared it's head 2 weeks ago with my OP, and now it seems to be a reoccuring problem.
Raneados on
0
Raneadospolice apologistyou shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered Userregular
edited January 2007
I see Dyna's suggestion and will probably listen to him, but anything else I can get would be aces.
Q: Just pop open the case and clean with _____?
Being careful of _____?
Do not kill myself by _______ (I'm gonna unplug it, I know that much)
I'm not exactly computer savvy, so retard terminology, please.
If you have no compressed air, just get a few sheets of paper and wave it in front of it to blow all the clumped up dust out. Don't spray anything on it, just blow on it a little. To do a better job go buy a can of compressed air from Office Depot for something like $2.
EDIT: To further clarify, focus on any and all fans you see. If you see any fans that look like they may have been blocked by dust then this is almost certainly your main issue. Get rid of all dust bunnies and then focus on heat sinks (metal fixtures that have closely spaced fins on them). For these you may need a can of air to clean it properly. Unplug the power cable first as well.
If you do touch anything make sure you ground yourself first. Basically that just means briefly touch a metal part of the computer case. You don't have to continuously touch it. What you are doing is discharging any static build up you have generated from dragging your feet on the carpet. This is for your computer's sake, not your own. But you really wont need to touch anything once you open your case.
From what it looks like, I would pretty much guarantee your problem is dust-related. Probably clogging up the heatsink and making the processor overheat and shut down the computer. Get some compressed air at Radio Shack, Office Depot, anywhere like that.
To clean out dust you will need:
- 1 can compressed air (any computer-related place has this)
- screwdriver to open your case
Turn off the power supply (switch on the back of the computer)
Unplug it
Open it
Spray around with the can of air. Places to spray include:
- the heatsink for your processor (LOTS OF DUST HERE)
- around the case fans
- in the video card fan
I usually hold the fans to prevent them from moving when I spray (I've heard that the air moving them around can be bad).
Also, be careful when you spray with the air can. You must hold it upright, or evil liquid will come out. Read the directions on the can.
Have fun!
tsmvengy on
0
Raneadospolice apologistyou shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered Userregular
edited January 2007
okay, I am very hopeful for the cheapness
thanks guys (and sorry to Dyna for not listening to him earlier, seriously, my bad, duder)
I am off to find a can of compressed air for 2 dollars and some nonstatic cloths
Eh, can't say I've had any problems ever with grounding - I suppose you probably should leave it plugged in, but I usually just take off my socks and make sure to touch the metal on the case every 30 seconds or so to ground myself.
I hope Deus is joking with his post because if you're working with anything inside the case it should definately be unplugged completely. Just dont be touching the parts if you're standing on a carpet or something similar and you don't have to worry about electric discharge onto your parts causing hardware problems.
_X_ on
0
Raneadospolice apologistyou shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered Userregular
edited January 2007
I am posting from it as we speak
it's looking promising but I'm not holding my breath until at least a few hours on extended use
there was a shitload of dust in there, though, almost used a whole can of air
I brought it outside with shoes on, on pavement, and touched the metal every half minute or so, I am not leaving jack plugged in, I am not looking to get electrocuted
I hope Deus is joking with his post because if you're working with anything inside the case it should definately be unplugged completely. Just dont be touching the parts if you're standing on a carpet or something similar and you don't have to worry about electric discharge onto your parts causing hardware problems.
it's looking promising but I'm not holding my breath until at least a few hours on extended use
there was a shitload of dust in there, though, almost used a whole can of air
I brought it outside with shoes on, on pavement, and touched the metal every half minute or so, I am not leaving jack plugged in, I am not looking to get electrocuted
Touching the case doesn't help if it's not grounded to something. When the comp is plugged in, the ground leading from the power supply to the wall outlet is connected, which allows static on the case to go somewhere. If you're that paranoid about frying yourself, touch the power supply before you unplug the comp, but know that you're not going to be able to re-ground yourself on the comp again until you plug it back in.
You can probably check the temperature of the CPU with something like Motherboard Monitor 5, Everest (there's a free version floating around the internet) or some software the manufacturer of your motherboard might have provided. Failing that you should be able to check it in the BIOS.
Generally, you'd want to keep it below 60°C when it's doing something. If it's higher than that then you can try changing the thermal paste on it as it dries out with age. Even the cheap white stuff will be good enough, though the better ones (eg. Arctic Silver 5) aren't very expensive either.
You can also check if the voltages - the above programs should let you do it, or again - there's probably a menu in the BIOS that will show them. They should be within 5% of the target value, with +12V and +5V being the more important ones. Just remember that these readings aren't totally precise.
robaal on
"Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra when suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath.
At night, the ice weasels come."
A friend of mine cleaned the dust out of his computer using a feather duster. You know those things that attract the dust via static electricity as you rub it on stuff? Yeah, he got that and gave his cards and fans etc a good old sweeping.
I only saw 2 fans inside the thing, one in plain view and one at the back, did I miss one?
That's besides the ones on the CPU and video card?
There might be one at the front - near the hard drive(s), but I think the dust hurts most if it's on the heatsinks... unless there's enough of it that it clogs up the intake grill or something.
robaal on
"Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra when suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath.
At night, the ice weasels come."
0
Raneadospolice apologistyou shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered Userregular
edited January 2007
I had a video card installed a few years back
the only thing I saw on it that looked even remotely like a fan was a dark grey block segmented into pillar-like things
the fans I saw was
1) on the back, near the top, build into the case, this lead from an enclosed box
2) One that was facing me when I opened the panel of my computer, which I am assuming is the heatsink
the only thing I saw on it that looked even remotely like a fan was a dark grey block segmented into pillar-like things
But you wrote that you have a Radeon 9600Pro? Some video cards are passively cooled - just a heatsink without a fan on it - but it's relatively rare.
1) on the back, near the top, build into the case, this lead from an enclosed box
The "box" is the power supply. You should be able to tell if the fan is blowing by feeling the air move.
2) One that was facing me when I opened the panel of my computer, which I am assuming is the heatsink
That would be the processor heatsink. Have you used the compressed air on the heatsink that the fan is mounted on?
Anyway, it seems that there's no case fan in your PC, so you could get one if there's space for it (there's usually one at the back, near all the motherboard ports). The common case-fan sizes are 80mm, 92mm and 120mm and there should be an extra connector on the motherboard for one (they usually use a similar/identical 3-holed plug like one on the CPU fan).
robaal on
"Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra when suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath.
At night, the ice weasels come."
the only thing I saw on it that looked even remotely like a fan was a dark grey block segmented into pillar-like things
But you wrote that you have a Radeon 9600Pro? Some video cards are passively cooled - just a heatsink without a fan on it - but it's relatively rare.
1) on the back, near the top, build into the case, this lead from an enclosed box
The "box" is the power supply. You should be able to tell if the fan is blowing by feeling the air move.
2) One that was facing me when I opened the panel of my computer, which I am assuming is the heatsink
That would be the processor heatsink. Have you used the compressed air on the heatsink that the fan is mounted on?
Anyway, it seems that there's no case fan in your PC, so you could get one if there's space for it (there's usually one at the back, near all the motherboard ports). The common case-fan sizes are 80mm, 92mm and 120mm and there should be an extra connector on the motherboard for one (they usually use a similar/identical 3-holed plug like one on the CPU fan).
I'm pretty sure there's no fan on the card
the air is blowing from the Power supply fan, but it feels warm, and weak, and it doesn't feel like the whole fan is blowing, just one side of it
my computer's been fine for 3 or so years, how come it's just started being weird now, even after I've dusted?
Raneados on
0
Raneadospolice apologistyou shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered Userregular
edited January 2007
running bios, it says it's up to about 107 F degrees now, but it seems to be running smoother now
time will tell
Raneados on
0
DynagripBreak me a million heartsHoustonRegistered User, ClubPAregular
Raneadospolice apologistyou shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered Userregular
edited January 2007
it seems to be running okayish now, albeit maybe a little hot
I'm gonna do a full clean tomorrow, likes, several cans worth + losing conciousness from blowing my own air
that 106F wasn't F
it's C
106 C
now it's down to 93 C with some fudging of my fans
anyone know the cutoff degree for a forced shutdown?
Raneados on
0
DynagripBreak me a million heartsHoustonRegistered User, ClubPAregular
edited January 2007
I don't think you're going to get much more with continued cans. I mean, it can only hold so much dust and getting it sparkling isn't going to make a shit. I would imagine the Danger Zone that you are watching out for is highly dependent on your motherboard and videocard as well as even the application of the thermal paste shit.
One way to just help it out is to leave the case off and possible move a fan near it, like a box fan or something. You can't get better circulation than that. Of course, pets and really young siblings can make that an awful idea.
Raneadospolice apologistyou shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered Userregular
edited January 2007
temperature 88 and dropping, I think this is solved
again
if it gets to it, I'll check out the paste and the case removal
thanks dudes
Raneados on
0
DynagripBreak me a million heartsHoustonRegistered User, ClubPAregular
edited January 2007
Keep in mind that temperature is also dependent on use. If you start playing an intense game, your motherboard and graphics card are working harder...light foruming may not give you the most accurate picture as to the robustness of your solution, but good luck on getting away with the cheap option for this kind of crap.
it seems to be running okayish now, albeit maybe a little hot
I'm gonna do a full clean tomorrow, likes, several cans worth + losing conciousness from blowing my own air
that 106F wasn't F
it's C
106 C
now it's down to 93 C with some fudging of my fans
anyone know the cutoff degree for a forced shutdown?
jesus fucking christ dude, thats hot.
for reference
my cpu idles in the mid 30's, under load gets to the mid 40's
mid 50's and id start freaking out a bit
anything in the 60's is trouble
for starters, you NEED a case fan. I am sort of stunned your pc doesnt. the PSU fan is only for the PSU, and proc fan/heatsink only moves heat off the proc and into the case.
that hot air is still stuck in the case! so like robaal said, your case takes 80 92 or 120 mm fan. they'd be like $10-20 type thing
Posts
Any message on screen?
weird
the problem seems to have solved itself
huzzah!
A can of compressed air is helpful, but not necessary.
I came back to my dorm after the weekend at home, and turned on my computer, I decided to play EVE, as I still needed to get through the tutorial. It was running a little choppy so I switched it to Windowed mode. And started playing, but about 10 seconds after I had switched it, my computer turned itself off. I pressed the power button to turn it back on but it turned itself off after a few seconds. After a few more tries experimenting with different times between turn-on attempts, it seems to fare better after a while sitting there, but not always. I tried 2 system restores but the computer always turns itself off like 1/3 of the way through, so I can't get it all the way there. I tried starting it up on one occasion and going straight to normal (nonsafe mode0. It didn't cut out, so I started adavare, sybot, and Norton virus checker. However, the computer turned off while these were running.
I haven't used the thing in a few days and it's been running fine beforehand (except for the similar occurence like 2 weeks ago in the OP)
Specs if I can remember them
RAM: 512
Space remaining: about 15 Gigs
Pentium 4 Processor
Radeon 9600Pro video card.
Computer is about 3 years old
Is this a power supply or heat problem? if so: how can I help it? Preferrebly with least amount of money spent, each dollar I'm going to spend is less money for groceries. My Budget is tight as hell right now.
Any help would be awesome, as this issue only just reared it's head 2 weeks ago with my OP, and now it seems to be a reoccuring problem.
Q: Just pop open the case and clean with _____?
Being careful of _____?
Do not kill myself by _______ (I'm gonna unplug it, I know that much)
I'm not exactly computer savvy, so retard terminology, please.
EDIT: To further clarify, focus on any and all fans you see. If you see any fans that look like they may have been blocked by dust then this is almost certainly your main issue. Get rid of all dust bunnies and then focus on heat sinks (metal fixtures that have closely spaced fins on them). For these you may need a can of air to clean it properly. Unplug the power cable first as well.
If you do touch anything make sure you ground yourself first. Basically that just means briefly touch a metal part of the computer case. You don't have to continuously touch it. What you are doing is discharging any static build up you have generated from dragging your feet on the carpet. This is for your computer's sake, not your own. But you really wont need to touch anything once you open your case.
To clean out dust you will need:
- 1 can compressed air (any computer-related place has this) - screwdriver to open your case
Turn off the power supply (switch on the back of the computer)Unplug it
Open it
Spray around with the can of air. Places to spray include:
- the heatsink for your processor (LOTS OF DUST HERE) - around the case fans - in the video card fan
I usually hold the fans to prevent them from moving when I spray (I've heard that the air moving them around can be bad).
Also, be careful when you spray with the air can. You must hold it upright, or evil liquid will come out. Read the directions on the can.
Have fun!
thanks guys (and sorry to Dyna for not listening to him earlier, seriously, my bad, duder)
I am off to find a can of compressed air for 2 dollars and some nonstatic cloths
whoa what the fuck are you doing. you leave it plugged in to keep everything grounded
it's looking promising but I'm not holding my breath until at least a few hours on extended use
there was a shitload of dust in there, though, almost used a whole can of air
I brought it outside with shoes on, on pavement, and touched the metal every half minute or so, I am not leaving jack plugged in, I am not looking to get electrocuted
Actually, i think he is right.
Touching the case doesn't help if it's not grounded to something. When the comp is plugged in, the ground leading from the power supply to the wall outlet is connected, which allows static on the case to go somewhere. If you're that paranoid about frying yourself, touch the power supply before you unplug the comp, but know that you're not going to be able to re-ground yourself on the comp again until you plug it back in.
Generally, you'd want to keep it below 60°C when it's doing something. If it's higher than that then you can try changing the thermal paste on it as it dries out with age. Even the cheap white stuff will be good enough, though the better ones (eg. Arctic Silver 5) aren't very expensive either.
You can also check if the voltages - the above programs should let you do it, or again - there's probably a menu in the BIOS that will show them. They should be within 5% of the target value, with +12V and +5V being the more important ones. Just remember that these readings aren't totally precise.
At night, the ice weasels come."
A friend of mine cleaned the dust out of his computer using a feather duster. You know those things that attract the dust via static electricity as you rub it on stuff? Yeah, he got that and gave his cards and fans etc a good old sweeping.
No. His computer never turned on again.
Dont use a duster.
A vacuum cleaner can also produce static electricity btw.
At night, the ice weasels come."
I only saw 2 fans inside the thing, one in plain view and one at the back, did I miss one?
Fan 1: 245750 RPM
Fan 2: 0 RPM
Ambient: 33C
Remote 1: 57C
Remote 2: 31C
HD0: 31C
I assume 57 is high, what with the icon next to it and all, but I dunno what remote 1/2/Hd0 is
also why my 2nd fan isn't moving
case fans, check front, top side and back of case
cpu fan, the one facing teh side or back of the case in the middle
gpu fan, on the underside of the gpu
might be a chipset (on the mobo) fan as well.
go into the bios (delete during bootup normally) and check your temperatures
it could be a PSU (power supply) issue as well
that temp is pretty high, it is probably getting higher under loads and might be causing your problem.
the 2nd fan isnt reporting any speed because its likely not hooked into the motherboard in any way. probably only your cpu fan is
That's besides the ones on the CPU and video card?
There might be one at the front - near the hard drive(s), but I think the dust hurts most if it's on the heatsinks... unless there's enough of it that it clogs up the intake grill or something.
At night, the ice weasels come."
the only thing I saw on it that looked even remotely like a fan was a dark grey block segmented into pillar-like things
the fans I saw was
1) on the back, near the top, build into the case, this lead from an enclosed box
2) One that was facing me when I opened the panel of my computer, which I am assuming is the heatsink
Some video cards are passively cooled - just a heatsink without a fan on it - but it's relatively rare.
The "box" is the power supply. You should be able to tell if the fan is blowing by feeling the air move.
That would be the processor heatsink. Have you used the compressed air on the heatsink that the fan is mounted on?
Anyway, it seems that there's no case fan in your PC, so you could get one if there's space for it (there's usually one at the back, near all the motherboard ports). The common case-fan sizes are 80mm, 92mm and 120mm and there should be an extra connector on the motherboard for one (they usually use a similar/identical 3-holed plug like one on the CPU fan).
At night, the ice weasels come."
like driving with no seatbelt, ran
I'm pretty sure there's no fan on the card
the air is blowing from the Power supply fan, but it feels warm, and weak, and it doesn't feel like the whole fan is blowing, just one side of it
my computer's been fine for 3 or so years, how come it's just started being weird now, even after I've dusted?
time will tell
Hopefully just a cleaning and stuff will hold your computer together long enough for you to save some bucks.
I'm gonna do a full clean tomorrow, likes, several cans worth + losing conciousness from blowing my own air
that 106F wasn't F
it's C
106 C
now it's down to 93 C with some fudging of my fans
anyone know the cutoff degree for a forced shutdown?
One way to just help it out is to leave the case off and possible move a fan near it, like a box fan or something. You can't get better circulation than that. Of course, pets and really young siblings can make that an awful idea.
again
if it gets to it, I'll check out the paste and the case removal
thanks dudes
stupid
games
<
videos now run very choppily, would this be related at all?
fix for this? I have the new drivers
jesus fucking christ dude, thats hot.
for reference
my cpu idles in the mid 30's, under load gets to the mid 40's
mid 50's and id start freaking out a bit
anything in the 60's is trouble
for starters, you NEED a case fan. I am sort of stunned your pc doesnt. the PSU fan is only for the PSU, and proc fan/heatsink only moves heat off the proc and into the case.
that hot air is still stuck in the case! so like robaal said, your case takes 80 92 or 120 mm fan. they'd be like $10-20 type thing